You Look Good in My Shirt
by threesummerdays
Summary: It's the story of a boy, a girl, and a shirt. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All song lyrics belong to Keith Urban the amazing. I wish I owned The Big Bang Theory. Oh, dreams...

"When you walked up behind me and covered my eyes

And whispered in my ear, guess who

I rattled off names like I really didn't know

But all along I knew it was you…"

Penny dug through the drawers, pulling at each piece of fabric, trying to discern one color from another in the dark. It was earlier than she was used to being awake, but it was worth it. She was still trying to work out exactly what had happened when she found what she was looking for. She ripped it from the drawer and pulled it quickly over her head. Her hair was crazier than it usually was when she woke up, so she ran her fingers through one more time, just to show an attempt at her appearance. Rising from her crouched position by the dresser, Penny took a look at herself in the mirror and smiled.

As she made it to the kitchen, Penny heard someone making breakfast. She was sure it wouldn't be Sheldon, but Leonard was supposed to go to his lab early this morning. Before she could sneak back, Leonard turned to face her and his mouth dropped open.

"P-Pe-Penny!" he stuttered, his eyes wide. "What are you…"

"I locked myself out of my apartment last night, so I stayed over," Penny said quickly, pulling at the hem of the shirt. She knew it was covering her, but still, she didn't want to look slutty in front of her ex-boyfriend.

"I was hoping I could just sneak out after I stole your spare key," she added, watching his face.

Leonard's eyes had moved from her face down to her chest. They settled there and started to grow wider, his mouth dropping even farther. Penny felt self-conscious again, thinking he was staring at her shirt. She was _wearing_ a shirt, wasn't she? Of course she was. She had pulled the hem down.

"Penny, what are you…" Leonard stopped, blinked slowly, and looked at her again. "What are you wearing?"

"Last I checked, it was called a shirt, Leonard," Penny said, starting to cross her arms over her chest.

"Sheldon's gonna flip," Leonard said quietly, pointing a spoon at her chest.

As Penny looked to where he was pointing, the Flash's logo glared back at her. She smiled slightly to herself. Of all the shirts she could have chosen, it had to be Sheldon's favorite. Before she could say anything to Leonard, a voice came from around the corner.

"What reason do I have to, as you put it, 'flip?'" Sheldon asked, looking at his roommate.

He followed Leonard's gaze and his own fell to Penny's choice of apparel, his blue eyes tracing the logo.

Penny couldn't breathe. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Those eyes, the ones that were currently boring holes into her entire being, were so beautifully intense, so passionate in their work, she felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. Sheldon would have told her it was highly unlikely, as spontaneous human combustion required some kind of intensely high heat and flammable substance. She knew it wouldn't actually happen, but she loved that someone's eyes could make her feel like it was possible.

As she watched Sheldon's face, Penny smiled in her own secret knowledge. After five years of being his neighbor, she knew how his observations worked. He would watch her, take in every detail of her actions, record them analytically in his brain, that incredible, beautiful brain of his, and, sometime later, would use his notes against her. It was how it always went, and she saw no reason for it to change now.

He was still watching her in silence when Leonard banged the spoon against the pot on the stove. Penny looked away, blushing, but she felt Sheldon's gaze lingering on her skin. She wanted so desperately to cross the small space that separated them and fling her arms around his neck. In the time it would take him to understand what was going on, she was sure she could sneak in a few beautiful kisses. He might not appreciate that, she understood, but what she would give to do it. If Leonard hadn't been there, she might have.


	2. Chapter 2

"…And the longer we talked, the more we laughed

And wondered why we didn't last

It had been a long time, but later last night

Baby, we caught up real fast…"

It _had_ been two years since they had broken up. She had hung on for a few more months after Sheldon began teaching her physics and she had first noticed his forearms. In fact, she had lasted until the beginning of the summer. That was when she got her first opportunity to go to New York and try for a part in a play on Broadway. She hadn't made it, of course, but when she returned to Pasadena, it had been more awkward than she hoped it would. Three months away should have meant Leonard was seeing someone else, but he wasn't. Not a full minute after she closed her apartment door, Leonard came knocking to see how she was. She told him, then politely sent him home, trying to catch a glimpse of his roommate as he opened his door.

"Say hi to Sheldon for me," she had flung out at the last second. Leonard had turned and looked at her in a way that suggested she had just broken his heart again. She felt bad, but it wasn't her fault. She knew as soon as they started being official that it would never last. Sheldon had even said it out loud on several occasions. She never wanted to say it out loud, but she knew in her heart that it was doomed from the start.


	3. Chapter 3

"And maybe it's a little too early

To know if this is gonna work

All I know is you're sure looking

Good in my shirt

That's right

You look good in my shirt…"

After the first day, it had been hard to get back into the swing of things. Even in New York, she hadn't forgotten which day of the week demanded which food, but the guys had made every night different. She had stayed behind the first night of her return to California, trying to give Leonard some space. The next night she was prepared to call out when she heard the knocks she was waiting for. She had to wait for all three rounds of her name and then she finally opened the door.

"Hey Sheldon!" she had said, smiling warmly at the man standing in the doorway in his Flash t-shirt.

"Hello, Penny," he said flatly, though she could have sworn she had seen a smile. "It's Halo night."

"I know."

"With Howard out to dinner with his girlfriend Bernadette, would you care to be our fourth player?"

Penny's heart had swelled. She knew Leonard probably told him to come over, but the fact that Sheldon was saying these words made the difference.

"Leonard told you to ask, didn't he?"

Sheldon had looked shocked and even a little frustrated. "Just because it concerns you does not mean that Leonard thought of it. Leonard had no part in this plan. He did not even inform me that you had returned."

"I'll come over." She had said it to stop his tirade against his best friend, but Penny had secretly wanted to hear more. Why hadn't Leonard told Sheldon? And why was Sheldon obviously upset about that? She had bitten her tongue, however, and silently retook her place in her neighbors' rituals.

For a whole year in between her breakup and now, she refrained from dating. The boys were, of course, curious to hear why she had decided. Well, all the boys but Sheldon. She waved off their curiosity and told them she was focusing on her job. She couldn't tell them the real reason, the one that haunted her dreams every night her head hit the pillow. She hadn't even said it out loud to herself yet. It would come.

During that year, she kept working at the Cheesecake Factory, got some minor roles in local productions, and was noticed by a few acting scouts. She ran lines until her eyes crossed, couldn't focus on her lines, and eventually found herself crying on Sheldon's couch. He had stood in the kitchen, a stunned look on his face as he tried to open the jar of pickles. She hadn't meant to put him into an awkward situation and tried to apologize through her blubbering. To her surprise, he had come to the couch and patted her gently, albeit stiffly, on the arm, saying, "There, there. Sheldon's here." She turned to cry into his shoulder and he allowed her to without a word about the number of germs she had transferred onto his shirt. He pried the script carefully from her hands and began to read lines with her. She went back to her apartment that night confident in her chances.

That day, he had been wearing the Flash shirt.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who's been reading! It's been such a fantastic day that I figured I'd write up the next section... Sorry it's so short, but I promise it will be worth it!

"Well now I'm not saying that we solved overnight

Every way that we went wrong

Oh, but what I'm seeing I'd sure love seeing

Every morning from now on…"

When she got the role, she called him. He was at the office, she knew, and she had already prepared her speech for his voicemail. He shocked her when he answered the phone.

"Hello, Penny," he said pleasantly.

"Sheldon, you never answer your phone," she said, still in shock.

"You never call me, so I assumed it was important."

"I got the part."

He spent a few minutes on the phone celebrating with her, immediately nixing the thought that they could eat somewhere else (she had to tell him she had no intention of changing the schedule – it was still pizza night). It was only after she ended the call that Penny noticed her heart racing. Thinking of his voice made it beat even faster. That's when she finally admitted it to herself.

"I'm in love with Sheldon Cooper."

Dinner had been awkward that night. Sheldon insisted on proposing a toast to her, Howard and Bernadette seconded it, and Raj grinned like a fool as he drank his soda. Leonard had been silent, staring at his slice of cheeseless pizza. Penny wanted to talk to him, but Sheldon's damn forearms kept getting in her way. And then, once she had looked at those, she had to follow them up to his face. He was smiling genuinely, brighter than she'd ever seen. When he handed her a plate with a slice of pizza and their fingers touched, she thought she was going to die. By the end of the night, she was exhausted with the effort of hiding her emotions and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, dreaming of her neighbor.

In every dream, he was wearing the Flash shirt.


	5. Chapter 5

"And maybe it's a little too early

To know if this is gonna work

All I know is you're sure looking

Good in my shirt…"

It had been three months ago she had the slip-up. She was running lines with Sheldon again, her eyes bleary from the lack of sleep as they sat on the couch. He had refused coffee, though he admitted he was tempted, resulting in his head drooping when it wasn't his turn to read. Penny hadn't realized that her head was lolling until it hit Sheldon's shoulder. She was too tired to move it, didn't think it was worth the effort to apologize. She waited for the reprimand for leaning on him, but it never came. Instead, she felt his body shift, allowing her head to drift down onto his chest. Her hand moved to rest next to her head, feeling his heart beating through the fabric of the Flash shirt.

"Penny," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Sheldon," she mumbled into his chest.

"I think you should go to bed."

"Probably."

"Can you make it on your own?"

"Probably."

A few minutes later…

"Nope. Can't make it. Too tired."

Penny felt him shift under her again and before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being lifted from the couch. She should have known he was stronger than the others. He had beaten Raj at arm wrestling and always carried the larger packages from the mailbox. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard herself telling him that it was okay, she could walk just fine, but the words didn't quite make it out of her mouth. Instead, she curled herself closer to his heartbeat.

She felt her bed under her sooner than she liked. If she opened her eyes, Penny was sure it was all going to be a dream and he wouldn't be there, so she kept them closed. The blankets drew closer to her face and she felt his long fingers tucking them in around her. As she turned and nestled further into the warmth, she heard his voice. She couldn't understand the words for a minute, but then…

"Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr…"

She smiled sleepily as she opened her eyes just enough to see his face above hers.

"I love you, Dr. Sheldon Cooper."

His eyes had widened larger than she had ever seen. A blush rose from his neck, quickly rushing all across his face as he stood.

"Goodnight, Penny."

She missed the comfort of the Flash shirt.

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! A special thanks to Handwritten - hope I gave you enough time in between chapters to get some sleep! :)


	6. Chapter 6

"…And maybe it's a little too early

To know if this is gonna work

All I know is you're sure looking

Good in my shirt…"

For two months, they had exchanged awkward greetings in the hall. Leonard had gotten more accustomed to the breakup (_It took long enough_, Penny thought) and was seeing Dr. Stephanie again, so her friendship with him had grown. But she didn't really care about Leonard. As her mother would say, "Why would you want the apple when you could have the pie?"

And finally, after eight painful weeks, the knock came. She hurried to the door and swung it open.

"Hey, Sheldon," she said, her smile spiraling out of control.

"Hello, Penny," he said, barely meeting her eyes. "As Howard is once again out with Bernadette…"

"I'd love to come over for Halo." Penny knew he hated being cut off, but his face betrayed no emotion.

"Very good," was all he had said and they walked across the hall together. Just as Sheldon opened the door, Raj and Leonard stepped out.

"Hey, guys," Leonard said, smiling at Penny. "We're just about to head out."

"Where are you going?" Sheldon asked sounding annoyed.

"We're going to a bar," said Leonard. After Raj whispered something in his ear, he added, "I think the 'to pick up girls' is unnecessary. What else do single guys do at a bar?" Raj whispered again and Leonard said, "Of course I'm not going to try to pick one up. _You're_ the only single one, other than Sheldon."

Penny and Sheldon had stared at their shoes until Sheldon brought up Halo night.

"We'll just play tomorrow," Leonard said, waving his hand casually. "Don't worry."

As the two men walked down the stairs, Penny looked at Sheldon. "Can we still have dinner together?"

Sheldon made a noise in his throat. "I already ordered for two."

When she left the apartment that night, long after Leonard had returned, she hugged Sheldon tightly.

"Thanks for letting me eat with you," she whispered into the shirt.

"Thank you for joining me," he had whispered into her hair.

Before she had time to react, he bent his head down until his nose touched hers and brushed his lips against hers.

"Goodnight, Penny." And with that, the door closed, leaving her alone and confused in the hallway. When she turned to her door, the questions hit her: What did he wash that shirt with that kept it so bright? And why did it smell so good?


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: And now we return to the present day... what will Sheldon say about Penny wearing his shirt?

--- * ---

It must have been the questions that made her choose that shirt. Subconsciously, she must have been thinking about how wonderful the shirt was when she chose it. But with Sheldon's look that he was currently giving her, Penny was beginning to seriously question her choice. It was the kind of look he usually reserved for Wolowitz and his innuendos, a sort of mixture between a glare and disappointment.

"Something wrong, Sheldon?" she asked, her arms growing tighter against her chest. Maybe if she covered up the shirt's logo, he'd stop staring at her like that.

Sheldon shook his head, his eyes finally breaking contact with her. "The color suits you," he said matter-of-factly, turning back to his French toast.

Leonard's jaw shouldn't have been able to drop as far as it had so far, but it didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon. He glanced between his roommate and his ex-girlfriend, hoping he wouldn't see what he did. It was the glow of her face and the faint look of joy on his that gave it away. Leonard knew he was making an awkward third wheel on this bicycle built for two, but somehow he couldn't force himself to leave. It was official, he thought as he watched Penny sidle over to Sheldon. He was a masochist.

"I thought you would like it," Penny said, leaning into Sheldon's personal bubble.

A few years ago, this would have made him furious, maybe would even have resulted in overturned breakfast foods and broken flatware. Today, her presence only served to brighten his small smile as he looked into her eyes. Leonard couldn't believe that Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, Mr. I-Hate-All-Life-Forms-Except-Spock, was allowing Penny's nearness. Then Sheldon moved his hand to tuck a strand of Penny's hair behind her ear and Leonard was certain his roommate had been body-snatched.

"Not as much as I liked last night," Sheldon breathed into her ear just loudly enough for Leonard to hear.

As Leonard struggled with the concept that Sheldon did, indeed, have a working sex drive, Penny struggled to keep her heart in her chest. She knew it was beating a million miles an hour as she looked into Sheldon's eyes. No longer were they burning with the passion of a few minutes ago when he was inspecting her clothing choice. Now they were glowing with the sweetness she had witnessed when he told her he loved her only a few hours earlier. Looking into those blue eyes, she felt the tingle of joy she had experienced last night when he had timidly kissed her, _really_ kissed her, for the first time. She knew for him to admit his feelings to her meant he was in this for keeps, and, somehow, Penny knew she was too.

Sheldon and Penny would have stood staring at each other for the entire day if Leonard hadn't dropped his bowl at that moment. She could only guess it was because he realized that his roommate actually had feelings toward another human being, but she was still upset he had to ruin the moment. While she stepped carefully out of the kitchen, Sheldon went for the broom, all the while lecturing Leonard on his clumsiness and expounding the hazards of broken dishware and possible injuries one might suffer. As he swept up the pieces, Penny stepped over to the couch. She carefully took her seat, the one right next to his, and watched him as she pulled the t-shirt closer to her.

The Flash shirt never made it back to his drawer.

A/N: Well, there it is. I know I strayed from Penny's side of the story for a few moments, but Leonard's feelings were too tempting. Poor guy. :) Happy last day of 2009!


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